Factors influencing participation in educational workshops as part of a pulmonary rehabilitation program in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a retrospective study

Background Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) (primarily composed of an exercise training program (ET) and educational workshops) is an effective intervention for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although factors which influence participation in the full PR program have been reported, specific data on the educational component of PR have not been published. We aimed to identify factors which predict refusal to participate in the educational component of PR. Research design and methods 201 patient charts were retrospectively included in the analysis. Patients were classified according to their acceptance or refusal to participate in the educational workshops. Results The location of ET outside the center was independently related to refusal to participate in the educational workshops (OR = 0.01 [95%CI 0.00 to 0.17]). Patients who refused the workshops were less disabled according to the number of prescriptions of noninvasive ventilation, use of medical transport, oxygen consumption and workload achieved during cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Conclusions The location of exercise sessions during PR influences patients' decisions to refuse or accept center-based educational workshops. When center-based PR programs are limited, and the ET is relocated to the patient's home, the educational workshops should also be relocated.